Thanks for stopping by and checking out my work. I am primarily a bar and bat mitzvah photographer based out of Fulton, MD but I also shoot, on occasion, portraits and corporate events.
If you'd like pricing info for any of these types of photo coverage, please email me or call me at 301.498.1804.
Shot a great bar mitzvah on Cinco de Mayo this year; I thought for sure they would have a mexican/Mexico theme but nope. Josh is into music and dancing so it was all about music (but one guest *did* bring a huge sombrero for kicks).
I hadn’t met Josh before we shot the portraits at the synagogue and when he showed up, I instantly recognized him. I couldn’t figure out, at first, why he looked so familiar but soon realized I’d seen him on my computer several times as I was editing one of his good friends’ photos (the Jablonover bar mitzvah here).
How many more times can I write a post about a bar mitzvah and say that the boy was mature and easy going and a good sport about having to be in a suit and spend an hour having his photo taken? I have to do it again because that was Josh. His family made the synagogue portraits a lot of fun (at one point, Josh’s dad picked him up and held him in his arms on the bimah. I like clients with a sense of humor).
The party was packed and Fern and her friends were on the dance floor almost the entire time. I’ve shot umpteen receptions at the Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville and this was definitely the most lively, most packed, most energetic crowd I’ve seen there. Evidence? This was the first reception I’ve ever been to (as a guest or otherwise) where the bar/bat mitzvah kid fell off the chair during the hora. For real. Everyone was so excited and having such a good time that I think they forgot Josh was on the chair. Nonetheless, Josh was a great sport and got right back up on the chair. Me? I’d have been done. No way I’d get back up there after having been dropped!
Thanks, Sam, Fern, Josh (Rachel and Ian) for allowing me to spend the day with you; enjoy this preview of the images!
Last Saturday I shot my second bar mitzvah for the Sirk family; I shot older brother Emerson’s bar mitzvah two years ago and got to do Weston’s this past weekend. I hadn’t seen Weston in quite a while and remembered him mostly from the photos on my computer from Emerson’s bar mitzvah. I continue to be amazed at how quickly kids change at this age. Weston went from being the short, baby brother to being a towering hulk of a 13-year-old. It was only fitting that the theme of his bar mitzvah was ‘Party With the Beast’!
The best part about doing a second bar/bat mitzvah for a family is that there is already a comfort level ~ we aren’t feeling each other out; me, trying to see how comfortable they are with certain locations and poses and them trying to figure out if I’m going to make them look good or not. It was easy and fun and I’m only sad they don’t have any more kids having a bar or bat mtizvah.
Thanks, Sirk family – enjoy this preview of images to come!
I got to shoot Blayne’s bat mitzvah this past weekend and it was a bit nostalgic ~ the very first bar mitzvah I ever attended was at Washington Hebrew back in 2002 (for Jeff’s cousin, Steven). Walking back into the temple I remembered my life back in March 2002 - I was 2 months pregnant with Kate and nauseous every single minute of the day. I don’t remember much of the services *or* the party afterwards for that matter as I was in the early exhaustion days of pregnancy and I believe I went to bed about 9pm.
But this is about Blayne’s bat mitzvah, not my personal stroll down memory lane.
Blayne is another one of these amazingly mature, posied teens I seem to be meeting a lot of these days. She wasn’t nervous and she was was more than pleasant during the (I’m sure to her, seemingly endless) family photographs before the service. One of the things I remember being said about her during the service (by her mom? by the rabbi? I can’t remember) is that people always say she is one of the nicest kids at school. I barely know Blayne but I totally believe it.
Everything about the evening was beautiful ~ the temple itself, the services and the reception afterwards. This was the first reception I’ve shot where not only did the adults outlast the kids on the dance floor (that’s happened before) but they also outnumbered the kids on the dance floor throughout the night. Not that the DJ couldn’t get them out (he was great!) – but the adults were serious dancers!
Thanks, Schenk family for having me share the night with you ~ enjoy this small preview of images to come!
Ben’s bar mitzvah had the coolest theme – one I haven’t seen before (and I’ve seen a lot). He had a National Parks theme and it was insane – they had a ridiculously talented balloon artist create a moose and a bear and trees all out of balloons. Seriously? Ridiculously cool. The artist also made balloon hats for everyone and they were fanciful and whimsical and creative – I loved them. And get this, the seating cards were all made to look like National Park tickets. I have only been to a few National Parks (Acadia being my very favorite) and I was jealous looking at all the photos of Ben and his family in parks all over the country. (Take me with you next time, Lisa and Michael?)
This bar mitzvah has the distinct honor of being the very first one I’ve ever photographed (or attended as a guest) where the *adults* outlasted the kids on the dance floor. Really. Even the DJ commented on it; I think it’s a pretty rare event (way to go Jablonover friends!).
A few photos from the reception:
And a few from the family’s synagogue photo session (this location is where my husband had his own bar mitzvah photographs taken!):
I shot my first bat mitzvah in two months on Saturday. I’m usually booked a year or two out but for some reason this past January and February I had none booked. It ended up being a really good thing as we had a lot of family stuff going on.
But Allie’s was my first one since my much needed and appreciated vacation. It was a great way to get back into the groove ~ she had her reception at the BWI Hilton which I haven’t shot at before. The party planner (Heidi Hiller of Innovative Party Planners) did an amazing job; the theme was Awesome Allie and incorporated Allie’s favorite things in a really cool way. I loved that Allie’s colors were blue and she didn’t have a girly-girly theme; if I had been Jewish when I turned 13 and had a bat mitzvah, Allie’s theme is exactly the kind I would have wanted.
The DJ was amazing – MC Carlos from Electric Entertainment – and had people dancing until the very last minute of the party. I’ve worked with Carlos and his crew before and I can’t recommend them enough. I also worked with a great videographer – Jim Skipper of Black Tie Video Productions. I actually heard one of the guests, at the end of the party, say they didn’t even know there was a videographer there. If you know anything about videographers, you know that is no small feat. I loved working with Jim and wish all my clients would hire him (hint, hint).
But far and away the best thing about the day? The family. I knew Laurie and Scott were fun but now I want their parents (either set – I don’t care) to adopt me. They were fun and laughed at my stupid jokes and allowed me to do my thing and had a great attitude about it (even during the synagogue photos which usually make everyone cranky).
Great working with you at Awesome Allie’s party. Wonderful family indeed Your pictures are fabulous – love the emotion and composition. Thanks for the shout out in your blog. Tell me what to do so we can get a few photos from this event that show case our decor along with your water mark and permission to use on our website. Please e-mail me and see how we can continue to work together!
Much continued success and all the best, Heidi
This past Saturday night I shot my last bat mitzvah for 2011 and it was such a great event to end the year with. I was, admittedly, a little nervous about shooting twins (twice the number of kids, twice the number of moments to capture). I shouldn’t have worried ~ the entire night was a breeze and Kayla and Elena were truly two of the nicest kids I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. It took me a while to put my finger on just what was different about them and then I realized that they had just turned 12 (most of the kids I photograph have turned – or are about to turn – 13). That one year made a huge difference; Kayla and Elana still had some of that little girl sweetness and innocence (not that they are little girls by any means). I’m still, even days later, struck by what a difference a year can make at this age. I think I might just lock Kate up when she turns 12 and refuse to let her get any older.
I digress. The night was beautiful ~ there were tons of kids and a huge dance floor which they made the most of. The kids danced until the very end and my second shooter (hi Megan!) and I were able to capture it all. Thanks Orzach family for welcoming me so warmly on your special night and for making my job so easy.
Kate was feeling a little bit better yesterday afternoon so we took a few minutes to take photos of her. She’s back to her sick self this morning (again. still?) and we’re off to the doctor this afternoon. I’m ready to spray the entire house down with Lysol and be done with the passing back and forth of this respiratory illness.
I went moodier and darker with Kate, only because she is really good at posing without smiling (Jack could never do that. Ever).
I’ve been shooting a lot lately – bar and bat mitzvahs, holiday photos, regular portraits, conventions for corporate clients… I am beyond grateful for the work but creatively I am drained. I haven’t shot for myself in quite a while and today, with Kate home sick and Jeff away all day at a football game, I asked Jack to be my model. True to form he was completely excited to do it. Until we set everything up and I asked him to sit there and look at me: ‘But I want to stand! How about I do this pose? Why do I have to look at you?’. Etc, etc. If you know Jack, you know what I’m talking about.
So I only had about 5 minutes with him, my camera, a speedlight and a ray flash which I haven’t used in I don’t know how long. Here is Jack in 4 frames:
Another Saturday, another bat mitzvah, right? Not this time. I’ve known Kayley’s mom for about 7 years ~ we met when her younger daughter, Sydney, and Kate were in the same preschool class at Temple Isaiah. Robin ended up teaching preschool there for a few years and was Jack’s teacher one year and she also taught the kids art. We started getting to know each other and hanging out when Jack graduated to the next class.
Since then she and her family have moved to our neighborhood and we see them all the time. So when she approached me about photographing Kayley’s bat mitzvah but not knowing how it would work since she wanted me to be a guest, I jumped at the chance. First of all, if you know me at all you know I hate to dance and I find most receptions painful even with several glasses of wine under my belt. I’d much rather be at home under the covers with a good book and not having to make small talk with a lot of people I don’t know.
I told Robin I would much prefer to be the photographer and she let me. I always get choked up at bar and bat mitzvahs when I see the slideshows of the kids growing up and hear the parents make toasts and this was no exception. I was more emotional because I got to see Kayley during the services and she did such an excellent job.
The reception was so much fun to photograph ~ mostly because I knew a lot of the people and felt comfortable taking photos and knew who would let me photograph them and who wouldn’t.
Congrats Kayley, Robin, Brian and Sydney ~ it was a beautiful day (despite the snow!).
Got to spend some time with Jordan and his family in Bethesda this past weekend for his bar mitzvah. I’m officially going on record that petulant, non-cooperative 13-year-old boys are the exception and not the rule. Jordan was another one of these kids I hope my son turns out like ~ he was funny, charming, polite and spent most of his reception with his 6-year-old niece (he even partnered up with her for a spirited game of Coke and Pepsi which, for this reception, was not Coke and Pepsi but Flyers and some other hockey team as hockey was the theme of the evening).
The reception was so much fun ~ I never know what a crowd is going to be like and the more people dance and participate, the better the photos usually are (who wants photos of people sitting around?). This group was up and dancing for most of the night and it was the first time I can remember that I actually had trouble taking photos of the dance floor because there were so many people on it. Not a bad problem to have
Rori, Rich, Jordan and Julia? Thanks for trusting me with your big day!
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I haven’t seen Malena or her daughter, Andrea, since the last time I photographed them – 4 years ago. At that time, Andrea was 12 (almost 13) and was still mostly a little girl. But now? She’s a young adult. It’s amazing to me how much can happen in 4 years. She is bright, ambitious (she wants to be a museum curator!), nice and just an all around great kid. I asked her mom what her secret(s) is/are and Malena had great advice:
1. Always offer to drive carpool. When the girls start talking, shut up and listen.
2. Don’t overreact. If you freak out the first time they share something important with you, they’re not going to want to share more with you.
3. Talk. Talk, talk, talk and then talk some more with your kid. But always make sure to listen.
I love talking to moms with older kids and picking their brains for parenting tips. I figure I’ve still got at least two more years before Kate can’t stand to be in the same room as me and I plan on maximizing that time together. All the parents I admire and respect tell me the same thing: your kids will go away for a while when they are teenagers but if you’ve done it right, they’ll come back.
Here’s hoping.
Malena, Andrea and I played around downtown Bethesda and had such a good time ~ I love clients that want to go somewhere different. We walked, we talked, we stopped in at Art Walk and ended at a cafe for coffee and chocolate crossants. Not a bad way to spend a morning.
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This was a bittersweet session: Jamie is the youngest of three siblings and I’ve photographed each of their bar/bat mitzvahs. The oldest, Jake, was actually the very first bar mitzvah I ever photographed. I had done family portraits for Julie and her family and she asked me if I would shoot portraits at the temple for Jake’s bar mitzvah. I declined because a) I’d never done it before and b) who the heck wants to be a bar mitzvah photographer, anyway? Aren’t they old men in cheap black suits who sweat a lot? After talking with Julie a little bit and finding out that she wanted more natural portraits, I decided to do it and found (much to my surprise) that I really enjoyed it. So I have Julie to thank for my current career path.
But back to Jamie. I first met her when she was about 8 years old and we did family portraits at her house. I haven’t seen her in forever so when I showed up at temple last weekend to shoot the bimah portraits, I was stunned to see a young woman. I mean, really. And the thing is, when I see friend’s kids growing up it makes me realize how quickly my own kids are growing up. Seeing Jamie’s older sister, Jordan, was shocking, too. I haven’t seen Jordan since I shot her bat mitzvah portraits two years ago and the difference between then and now is mind boggling.
So this was the last of the Kotler kids and while I know Julie and Rick are relieved to be done with bar and bat mitzvahs, I’m a little bit sad that I won’t be getting to do this again with them and their (really fantastic) extended family.
Congrats, Jamie! And Julie? Thank you.
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I’ve decided, after photographing Jake and his family this past weekend, that I am going to have to rethink my beliefs about 13-year-old boys.
The past few boys I’ve photographed have all proven exceptions to the rule that boys that age can be goofy and won’t listen to instructions but Jake was heads above all of them.
What struck me most was how he treated his little sister, Allison, who is 5. During the kiddush luncheon on Saturday, surrounded by all of his friends, he made space at his table so she could sit next to him. There was no rolling his eyes or complaining to his mother about having to sit next to her, or how he shouldn’t have to do it since it’s his big day. None of that. He was kind and gentle and included her in everything, even at the reception that evening.
My brothers and I certainly didn’t treat each other like that and as much as I’d like to believe that Kate and Jack will grow up being kind to each other I’ve already seen evidence to the contrary. No way in hell is Kate going to want to hang out with Jack at her bat mitzvah (and ditto with Jack). I don’t know how Jake’s parents, Jeff and Michele, did it but I sure wish they’d write a book on parenting and raising kids without sibling rivalry.
So the reception. Get this. The boys actually DANCED at the reception. And not just awkward teenage boy dancing – they were really good! The reception was held at a really cool place in Gaithersburg called The Trenches. There were tons of video games and there was even a ping pong table, pool table and foosball table. My favorite part was ‘Jake’s Dugout’ with the artificial turf and the red couches. Haven’t seen that before and I’m tucking that idea away in my back pocket for Jack’s bar mitzvah.
Mazel Tov, Jeff, Michele and Jake (and Ethan and Allison!) ~ thank you for allowing me to be part of your family’s simcha.
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This was such a special photo shoot for me; Emily was both Kate and Jack’s 1st grade teacher (and it’s still weird to call her Emily after always referring to her as Mrs. Baxter).
I loved her when she taught Kate – she was nurturing and warm and gave Kate the extra attention and reassurances she needed. For Jack, she was calm and cool but also set clear expectations on what behavior was expected in her classroom (namely not yelling out whatever is in your head the minute you think of it. So Jack.). She was a fantastic teacher for both my kids and at the end of last year I decided I wanted to do a special teacher gift – something besides a Target gift card or a bookstore gift card (both nice gifts, of course).
I decided to give her a gift certificate for a family photo session. Emily had commented a few times on the photos my kids brought in for class projects but I still wasn’t sure if she was just being nice or if she really liked my photography. Turns out she was thrilled with the gift and a few weeks ago I got to meet her husband and kids. We romped around and watched the goats pee on their little house and got to see chickens. Andrew is almost 2 so he was having none of my guidance to sit down and look at me but Kaylee was happy to pose and look at me and it was really sweet to see her with her little brother; they reminded me of Kate and Jack when they were that age and used to like each other.
Emily – thank you for being such a wonderful teacher for my kids; I only wish you could teach them in every grade.
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this was my 4th session with the mclean family; the last session was may 2009 and i couldn’t believe how much the kids had grown. owen just finished his first year of school and hudson now talks.
we headed out to a new location (for me) in howard county and i’m so glad we did; the grounds were gorgeous and provided lots of different spots for photos. thankfully we had a break in the horrid heat and no one wilted (although there might have been some lollipop bribes. maybe.)
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Your pictures are fabulous – love the emotion and composition. Thanks for the shout out in your blog. Tell me what to do so we can get a few photos from this event that show case our decor along with your water mark and permission to use on our website. Please e-mail me and see how we can continue to work together!
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